7 Best Hog Feeders For Pasture Raised Pigs That Old Farmers Swear By

Watching a summer storm roll in while your pigs’ feed turns to a soupy, wasted mess is a feeling no farmer wants. A good pasture feeder isn’t just a container; it’s your first line of defense against wasted money and wasted time. Choosing the right one means more feed goes into your hogs and less gets trampled into the mud.

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Why Your Pasture Hog Feeder Choice Matters

The wrong feeder is a constant source of frustration. It’s the one that clogs after a light rain, gets knocked over by a boar, or allows sparrows and raccoons to eat better than your pigs do. Your choice directly impacts your feed bill, which is often the single largest expense in raising hogs.

A well-designed feeder does more than just hold feed. It protects its contents from the elements, minimizes waste from the pigs’ natural rooting behavior, and stands up to their incredible strength. Think of it as an investment. Spending a bit more on a feeder that saves even 10% of your feed will pay for itself much faster than you think.

Consider these key factors:

• Capacity: How often do you want to fill it? A larger feeder saves labor but requires a bigger upfront investment.
• Durability: Will it withstand a 400-pound sow using it as a scratching post? Poly and heavy-gauge steel are the top contenders.
• Waste Reduction: Does it have features to stop pigs from shoveling feed onto the ground? Look for feed-saver lips, agitators, or specialized dispensing mechanisms.
• Weather Resistance: A good lid and drainage are non-negotiable for pasture use.

Osborne Big Wheel: The Ultimate Feed-Saving Design

If you ask a seasoned farmer about a "buy it for life" feeder that actually saves feed, the Osborne Big Wheel will come up. Its design is brilliantly simple and effective. Instead of a gravity-fed chute, pigs turn a multi-spoke wheel in the trough to dispense feed, and they learn how to do it in minutes.

This mechanism is the key to its efficiency. The pigs only dispense what they are about to eat, which virtually eliminates the waste caused by them sorting and pushing feed out of the trough. Because the feed is mechanically agitated, it doesn’t bridge or clog, even with ground feed mixes in humid weather. This is the feeder you buy when feed waste is your biggest enemy.

Of course, this level of engineering comes at a price. The Big Wheel is one of the more expensive options on the market. But for those who plan to raise pigs for the long haul, the return on investment through feed savings is undeniable. It’s made of heavy-duty poly that won’t rust and is tough enough to last for decades.

Sioux Steel Poly Round Feeder for Durability

Polyethylene feeders have become a staple on modern pastures for a reason. They don’t rust, they don’t dent easily, and they can take an incredible amount of abuse from livestock. The Sioux Steel Poly Round Feeder is a perfect example of this principle in action. Its round shape and low center of gravity make it extremely difficult for pigs to tip over.

The design features multiple feeding holes, which reduces competition and allows several pigs to eat at once peacefully. The deep troughs with a feed-saver lip help keep feed where it belongs. A secure, domed lid sheds water effectively, keeping the contents dry through heavy downpours.

This feeder is a fantastic all-around workhorse. It strikes a great balance between durability, capacity, and price. While it doesn’t have the sophisticated anti-waste mechanism of the Osborne, its fundamental design is sound and reliable for most pasture-based operations.

Brower MF8S: Heavy-Duty Steel Construction

Sometimes, there’s no substitute for the sheer weight and rigidity of steel. The Brower MF8S is built like a tank from heavy-gauge galvanized steel, making it an excellent choice for operations with large, powerful hogs. This is the kind of feeder that stays put, no matter how hard a boar tries to move it.

Its design focuses on durability and precise control. An adjustable feed gate allows you to fine-tune the flow of feed into the trough, which is crucial for managing different feed types and minimizing waste. The deep trough and divider guards also help prevent pigs from slinging feed out.

The main tradeoff with any steel feeder is the eventual risk of rust, especially at weld points or if the galvanization gets scratched. However, a quality steel feeder like the Brower will provide many years of service before that becomes a concern. For farmers who prioritize immovable strength above all else, steel remains the gold standard.

Tarter 16-Bushel Poly Feeder for Large Herds

When you move from a handful of pigs to a larger herd, your biggest bottleneck becomes labor. Filling feeders every day or two is time you could spend on other chores. The Tarter 16-Bushel Poly Feeder is designed to solve that problem by holding approximately 800 pounds of feed, drastically reducing the frequency of refills.

Made from corrosion-resistant poly, this feeder is built for the pasture environment. It features a steep-angle hopper to ensure consistent feed flow and a wide, weather-resistant lid that makes filling easy. The round design and multiple feed stations accommodate a good number of pigs, minimizing stress and competition at mealtime.

A feeder this size is a significant piece of equipment. You’ll need to consider how you’ll fill it—lugging 50-pound bags up a ladder gets old fast. But for a growing operation, the time savings and ability to buy feed in larger quantities make a high-capacity feeder like this an essential piece of infrastructure.

Behlen Country 60-Bushel for Bulk Feeding

For the serious pastured pork producer, feeding becomes a question of logistics and bulk efficiency. The Behlen Country 60-Bushel feeder is a piece of commercial-grade equipment designed for exactly that. Holding around 3,000 pounds of feed, this isn’t something you fill with bags; it’s designed to be filled from a grain truck or a feed auger.

Constructed entirely of heavy-gauge galvanized steel, this feeder is built to last for decades. Its sheer weight and size mean it’s a permanent fixture in the pasture. Features like a top-crank lid for easy opening from the ground and precise feed-flow adjustments are standard. This is the solution for farmers who buy feed by the ton, not the bag.

This feeder is an investment in efficiency at scale. It allows you to minimize labor and take advantage of better pricing on bulk feed deliveries. While it’s overkill for a couple of homestead hogs, it’s an indispensable tool for anyone running a dozen or more pigs on pasture and looking to streamline their operation.

Kane Big-Kube Feeder for Weaners on Pasture

Weaned pigs have different needs than mature hogs. They’re smaller, less aggressive, and can be intimidated by large, crowded feeders. The Kane Big-Kube Feeder is specifically designed for this transitional stage, providing a safe and accessible food source for young pigs on pasture.

Its low profile and smaller feed openings are perfectly sized for weaners. The solid poly construction is durable yet lightweight enough to be moved easily as you rotate paddocks. The feed trough is designed to prevent small pigs from lying in it and soiling the feed, which is a common problem with feeders not built for their size.

The Big-Kube’s smaller capacity is actually a feature, not a bug, in this context. It encourages you to check on the young pigs more frequently and ensures the feed stays fresh. It’s the right tool for a critical job, helping get your weaners off to a strong, healthy start before they graduate to the larger finishers’ feeder.

The DIY 55-Gallon Barrel Feeder: A Classic

You can’t talk about farm-tested feeders without mentioning the classic DIY 55-gallon barrel. For generations, farmers with more time than money have turned a simple food-grade plastic or steel drum into a functional hog feeder. The concept is simple: cut feeding holes near the bottom, bolt it to a sturdy base or frame, and fashion a lid.

The biggest advantage is cost. You can often find barrels for cheap or free, and the rest is just a bit of hardware and labor. It’s a testament to farmer ingenuity and a perfectly viable option for someone raising just two or three pigs for their own freezer. You can customize it to your exact needs.

However, be realistic about the tradeoffs. A DIY feeder is rarely as efficient or weather-proof as a commercially designed one. You’ll likely see more feed waste, and it may not stand up to the abuse of a truly large hog. It’s a fantastic starting point, but as you scale up, you’ll quickly see the value in a purpose-built feeder.

Ultimately, the best hog feeder is the one that fits your scale, your budget, and your management style. Don’t view it as just another piece of gear, but as a critical tool for managing your biggest expense. A feeder that saves feed and labor pays for itself over and over again.